Timeline of Tibetan Buddhist History

Mar 7, 2003

Category: Tibetan History

Timeline of Tibetan Buddhist History

Tibet lies at the centre of Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers. The earth's highest mountains, a vast arid plateau and great river valleys make up the physical homeland of 6 million Tibetans. It has an average altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level.

Tibet is comprised of the three provinces of Amdo (now split by China into the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu & Sichuan), Kham (largely incorporated into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai), and U-Tsang (which, together with western Kham, is today referred to by China as the Tibet Autonomous Region).

The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) comprises less than half of historic Tibet and was created by China in 1965 for administrative reasons. It is important to note that when Chinese officials and publications use the term "Tibet" they mean only the TAR.

Tibetans use the term Tibet to mean the three provinces described above, i.e., the area traditionally known as Tibet before the 1949-50 invasion.

Despite over 40 years of Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Tibetan people refuse to be conquered and subjugated by China. The present Chinese policy, a combination of demographic and economic manipulation, and discrimination, aims to suppress the Tibetan issue by changing the very character and the identity of Tibet and its people.

792Exponents of Indian Buddhism prevail in debate with Chinese at Samye.

840Persecution of Tibetan Buddhism under King Lang Darma, period of conflict and civil strife begins.

877Destruction of Tibetan Dynasties. Buddhism almost completely wiped out in Tibet.

978Commencement of second Buddhist period in Tibet. Atisha (982-1054).

1038 Atisha comes to Tibet and founds the Kadampa school (which later becomes the Gelugpa order).

c1039 Marpa the translator (1012-1099) founder of the Kargyu school, travels to India, studies under Naropa.Gampopa (1079-1153) is responsible for the actual founding of the Kagyu school on the basis of Kadampa, later to be known as Gelugpa. Monastic practice and education system, with the Tantric practices of Naropa, Marpa and Milarepa.

1040 Birth of Milarepa, 2nd hierarch of Kagyu order and a renowned poet.

1055Birth of Marchik Labdron (1055-1153) founder of the Chod lineage, the main lineage founded by a woman.

1060Founding of the Sakya Lineage by Brogmi (992-1072). Gonchok Guelpo (1034-1102) establishes the first monastery of the Sakya monastic order.

1247Sakya Pandita submits to Godan Khan; beginning of the first priest/patron relationship between a Tibetan Lama and a Mongol Khan.

1261 Tibet is reunited with Sakya Pandita, Grand Lama of Sakya, as king.

1721The position of Amban is created by a 13-point Qing decree on Tibet. 29-point Qing decree prescribes "golden urn lottery for picking DL and PL, bans visits by non-Chinese, and increases Amban's powers.

2006 A new railway linking Lhasa and the Chinese city of Golmud is opened. The Chinese authorities hail it as a feat of engineering, but critics say it will significantly increase Han Chinese traffic to Tibet and accelerate the undermining of traditional Tibetan culture.